Lighter fluid for barbecue briquet ignition



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United States Patent Ofi ice 3,226,208 Patented Dec. 28, 1965 This is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 97,137, filed-March 21, '1961, and now abandoned.

This invention relates to an improved lighter fluid for the ignition of barbecue briquets. This invention further relates to a lighter fluid which can be easily and safely ignited, which produces a relatively long lasting glaze or wet appearing surfaceon the briquets, which promotes the rapid spread of flame throughout the briquet mass, and which possesses several other characteristics which make its use desirable and advantageous. The invention also relates to a method for preparing this lighter fluid, and to combustible bodies impregnated with same.

It has been a practice in the past for persons igniting f barbecue briquets to first apply some kind of a lighter fluid to the briquets and then to ignite the fluid impregnated briquets with a flame. Most of the lighter fluids presently on the market penetrate rapidly into the interior of the briquets, giving the appearance of dryness, and thus making it difficult to determine how uniformly the fluid has been applied or distributed over the briquets. As a result of this such lighter fluids are often wastefully applied in an effort to insure complete wetting of the briquets. Such lighter fluids also frequently possess relatively low flash points, so that their ignition, if not dangerous, is generally at least hazardous.

It was therefore considered desirable to try to develop a safe, easily ignitible briquet lighter fluid which would not soak into the briquets as rapidly as the lighter fluids of the prior art, but which would leave a relatively long lasting wet appearing surface wherever it has been applied to the briquets, thereby also permitting complete coating or wetting without waste.

Such a blend or lighter fluid because of the visibility of where it has been applied, results in several advantages. Its application to the briquets can be well con- It can be applied where wanted, and in the amount wanted, without over-application to certain portions of the briquet bed and without under-application or no-application to other portions of the bed. Because it can be seen, it can be used more efliciently and not applied wastefully such as to the ashes remaining from I the previous outing. Because the fluid can be seen and uniformly applied, the home barbecuer never fails to light the briquet bed on the first attempt, the initial ignition of the briquet bed is more uniform, the subseqent burning of'the bed is therefore more uniform and the proved lighter fluids.

It is another object of this invention to provide briquets impregnated with lighter fluids having the foregoing characteristics and produced in accordance with the teachings of this invention.

It is a finding of this invention that the foregoing ohjectives can be achieved by formulating suitable blends of combustible hydrocarbons or petroleum naphthas, thickening agents and surfactants.

.It is a furtherfinding of this invention that the petroleum naphtha or combustible hydrocarbon material should possess a minimum flash point (as per ASTM D 56 61) of about F. and preferably above about F., and not exceeding F.; a minimum aniline point of about 145 F. (as per ASTM D 611-63T) and preferably above about F., and not exceeding F.; a minimum 5% recovery point of about 300 F. (as per ASTM D 86-62) and preferably above 330 F. and not exceeding 375 F.; and a 95% recovery point (as per ASTM D 86-62) between 375 F. and 675 F. and

preferably between about 400 F. and about 575 F.; that the thickening agent should be selected from the group consisting of aluminum stearate (preferably dibasic), calcium stearate, aluminum palmit-ate, and aluminum octoate and that such thickening agents should be employed in amounts varying from about 0.2 to about 2.0 weight percent of the petroleum naphtha; and that a surface active agent, in an amount from about 0.001%

I to about 0.3% by weight of the total mixture should be employed in conjunction with the petroleum naphtha-and the thickening agent in order to assist in the preparation of the blend. and to bring and maintain the viscosity of the blend between about 30 and about 500 centipoises, and preferably between about 70 and about 200 centipoises, as measured at 30 C. by a Brookfield viscometer. The uniform blending of these three materials is generally effected by mixing and heating them in a manner as will be hereinafter described. The foregoing'ASTM tests and properties may be found in the volume of ASTM Standards 1964, Part 17, entitled Petroleum -'Products-Motor Fuels; Solvents; Fuel Oils; Lubricating Oils; Cutting Oils published by the American Society for Testing Materials, 1916 .Race Street, Philadelphia 3, Pa., the Flash test being set forth on page 1, the Aniline Point test on page 251, and the Distillation Point test on page 8.

The surface active agent is required for the reasons above and also to promote and preserve the formation of a well dispersed, fine grained, substantially non-granular flocculent suspension in the lighter fluid. When the fluid is applied to the briquets, a coating is formed which provides a smooth, substantially uniform glaze thereon. Without such surfactants, it has been found very diflicult to compound the petroleum hydrocarbon and thickening agent together, because of difliculties which arise in viscosity control, and impossible to obtain a final composition that contains thenon-granular, flocculent suspension. Instead, undesirable thick gels or granular particles are obtained. The surfactant, then, helps-to disperse the thickening agent, serves as an effective processing aid, assists in achieving and maintaining the desired viscosity, assists in the preparation of the non-granular, flocculent suspension, and prevents theformation of objectionable, non-uniform, granular precipitates, after the blend has been heated to elevated temperatures and .too great an increase.

cooled to normal or final or room temperatures. The surfactants employedmay be either cationic, anionic or non-ionic.

bring about a desired amount of thickening or increase in viscosity adversely affect the ignition or rate of burning properties of the petroleum hydrocarbon, or are required in too large amounts to be practical or economical. In some cases, the thickening agents will not disperse or go into suspension, or will settle out upon standing. In other cases the blend upon standing becomes too viscous even though it possesses a suitable initial viscosity. Therefore, this invention requires and relates to a blend of at least three materials, viz., a main combustible petroleum fraction, a suitable thickening agent and a surfactant all interrelated and interdependent as to type and amount for ease of preparation and which blend after being prepared and/or standing (or upon a slight amount of reshaking after standing) results in a lighter fluid or a combustible composition having the previously described properties resulting in the foregoing advantages. Minor amounts of other materials such as coloring or scenting agents may also be added.

The following examples are set forth in order to more fully describe the present invention. The ASTM and property designations are applicable for all of the examles as well as other portions of the specification and the claims.

Example 1 One gram of aluminum stearate and three drops (approximately 0.06 cc.) of an anionic surface active agent, Alkanol DOA, a registered trademark of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. for a sodium alkyl naphthalene sulfonate surface active agent were mixed and heated at a relatively fast upheat rate to approximately 90 C. in 100 milliliters of a petroleum fraction having an ASTM D 56-61 flash point of 124 R, an ASTM D 86-62 boiling point range of 346 to 413 F., and an ASTM D 61163T aniline point of 185 F. This petroleum fraction also had an API gravity of 54.8, and a specific gravity (60/60 F.) of 0.759. When this blend was cooled to room temperature, it was a thickened, non-granular, uniform composition having a Brookfield viscosity at 30 C. of 150 centipoises and was particularly suitable for application to briquets for ignition purposes. When applied to briquets, the blend partially soaked into the briquets but also partially stayed upon the surface, presenting a wet, glazed or coated appearance. This wet surface was also relatively long lasting so that one was able to leave the impregnated briquets and come back after several minutes and note the substantial retention of this appearance and also easily ignite the impregnated briquets. This lighter fluid blend possessed a high flash point, provided fast flame-spread, was easily ignited, and the briquets impregnated therewith ignited and burned uniformly.

ExampleZ Example 1 was repeated substituting three drops of a cationic surface active agent, Alkaterge C in the place of the Alkanol DOA. Alkaterge C is a registered trademark of the Commercial Solvents Corporation for a substituted oxazoline surface active agent. It is an amine type, cationic surface active agent with a molecular and equivalent weight of approximately 350, a specific gravity of 0.93 and a distillation range of 194-310 C. (3 mm. Hg). The results obtained were similar.

Example 3 Example 1 was repeated employing three drops of a non-ionic surface active agent, Energetic, a registered trademark of Armour and Co. for a polyoxyethylene ester of fatty acids surface active agent, and similar results were obtained.

Example4 Example 1 was repeated employing three drops of the anionic surface active agent, Aerosol OT (a solution) in the place of alkanol. Aerosol OT is a registered trademark of American Cyanamid Co. for dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate surface active agent having a molecular weight of 444. Similar results were obtained.

Example 5 Example 4 was repeated employing a petroleum frac tion having a flash point of 128 F., a boiling point range from 357 to 410 F., and an aniline point of 186 F. This petroleum naphtha also possessed an API gravity of and a specific gravity (/60 F.) of 0.761. The results obtained were similar.

Example 6 Example 4 was repeated employing a petroleum fraction having a flash point of 126 F., a boiling point range of from 352 to 387 F., and an aniline point of 185 F. It also had an API gravity of 55 and a specific gravity (60/60 F.) of 0.759. Similar results were obtained.

Example 7 One hundred parts of the petroleum fraction employed in Example 6 was blended with 1 part by weight of calcium stearate and three drops of Aerosol OT surface active agent (10% solution) and quickly heated to about C. Results similar to those obtained in Example 1 were obtained.

Example 8 Example 7 was repeated substituting five drops of Alkaterge C surface active agent in the place of the 3 drops of Aerosol OT. Very satisfactory results were obtained.

Example9 Example 7 was repeated employing five drops of Energetic surface active agent in the place of the 3 drops of Aerosol OT, and similar results were obtained.

Example 10 One hundred ml. of a petroleum fraction having a flash point of 141 F. and a boiling range from 364 to 386 F. were blended with 1 gm. of dibasic aluminum stearate and five drops of Aerosol OT (10%) and the mixture was processed and tested in the manner of Example 1. Satisfactory results were obtained.

Example 11 Example 1 was repeated employing five drops of Aerosol OT (10%) and a petroleum fraction having a flash point of 120 F., and a boiling range between 340 and 500 F. and satisfactory results were obtained.

Example 12 Example 4 was repeated employing aluminum palmitate in the place of aluminum stearate and satisfactory results were obtained.

Although the amount of thickening agent generally employed is one part by weight per milliliters of petroleum fraction, which is approximately the preferred amount, it should be pointed out that this may be varied between about 0.2 part and about 2.0 parts and the results of this invention still be obtained.

The surfactant should comprise at least about 0.001% and preferably between about 0.005% and about 0.3% by weight of the total mixture. This amount will depend on a number of factors such as the strength of the surfactant, its concentration and activity, its cost, etc.

As stated previously, other materials such as coloring or scenting agents may also be added to the three previously described ingredients for product appeal. For example, the oil soluble red coloring material Sudan IV may be employed in amounts such as 0.02 gram per 100 grams of blend to enhance the appearance of the product.

It should also be realized that the materials may be blended in several ways but one method of blending which we have found particularly suitable is as follows:

The desired amount of the petroleum fraction is poured into a suitable heating vessel. The desired amount and type of thickening agent, such as one gram of aluminum stearate per one hundred milliliters of petroleum fraction is slowly added to the petroleum fraction while it is being stirred and the surfactant, such as about five drops of Aerosol OT per 100 ml. of petroleum fraction is added in a like manner. The order in which the thickening agent and surfactant are added may be reversed. The mixture is then heated at a rapid upheat rate while stirring until it reaches a temperature of between about and about 100 C. and preferably between about and about C., and until it becomes a uniform blend. It is then cooled and ready for placement in suitable containers for consumer use.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific examples which have been offered merely as illustrative and that modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. A uniformly blended combustible composition of matter consisting essentially of: parts of a liquid petroleum fraction having a flash point between about F. and about 145 F., a 5% recovery point between about 300 F. and about 375 F., and a 95% recovery point between about 375 F. and about 675 F., and an aniline point between about 145 F. and about 190 F.; from about 0.2 to about 2.0 percent by weight of a thickening agent selected from the group consisting of aluminum stearate, calcium stearate, aluminum palmitate and aluminum octoate; and from about 0.001% to about 0.3%

by weight of a surface active agent which assists in bringing and maintaining the viscosity of said blended composition between about 30 and about 500 centipoises at 30 C.

2. A composition of matter according to claim 1 wherein its viscosity is between about 70 and about 200 centipoises at 30 C.

3. A uniformly blended combustible composition of matter consisting essentially of: 100 parts of a liquid petroleum fraction having a flash point between about F. and about F., a 5% recovery point between about 330 F. and about 375 F., and a 95 recovery point between about 400 F. and about 575 F.,

and an aniline point between about 180 F. and about F.; from about 0.2 to about 2.0 percent by Weight of a thickening agent selected from the group consisting of aluminum stearate, aluminum palmitate, aluminum octoate and calcium stearate, and from about 0.001% to about 0.3% by weight of a surface active agent which assists in bringing and maintaining the viscosity of said blended composition between about 30 and about 500 centipoises at 30 C.

4. A composition of matter according to claim 3 wherein the thickening agent is dibasic aluminum stearate.

5. A composition of matter according to claim 3 wherein the thickening agent is calcium stearate.

6. A process for producing a uniformly blended combustible composition of matter according to claim 1 which comprises heating the components of said composition to a temperature between about 70 C. and about 100 C., while simultaneously stirring same, until a uniform blend is obtained.

7. A process for producing a uniformly blended combustible composition of matter according to claim 3 which comprises heating the components of said composition to a temperature between about 70 C. and about 100 C., while simultaneously stirring same, until a uniform blend is obtained.

8. A composition of matter according to claim 4 wherein the surface active agent is selected from the group consisting of a sodium alkyl naphthalene sulfonate, an amine substituted oxazoline, a polyoxyethylene ester of fatty acids, and a dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate.

9. A composition of matter according to claim 5 wherein the surface active agent is selected from the group consisting of a sodium alkyl naphthalene sulfonate, an amine substituted oxazoline, a polyoxyethylene ester of fatty acids, and a dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,240,335 4/1941 Keil 4441 2,382,144 8/1945 Griesinger 447 2,842,431 7/ 1958 Robertson 446 DANIEL E. WYMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A UNIFORMLY BLENDED COMBUSTIBLE COMPOSITION OF MATTER CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF: 100 PARTS OF A LIQUID PETROLEUM FRACTIONHAVING A FLUSH POINT BETWEEN ABOUT 110*F. AND ABOUT 145*F., A 5% RECOVERY POINT BETWEEN ABOUT 300*F. AND ABOUT 375*F., AND A 95% RECOVERY POINT BETWEEN ABOUT 375*F. AND ABOUT 675*F., AND AN ANILINE POINT BETWEEN ABOUT 145*F. AND ABOUT 190*F.; FROM ABOUT 0.2 TO ABOUT 2.0 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF A THICKENING AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALUMINUM STEARATE,CALCIUM STEARATE, ALUMINUMPALMITATE AND ALUMINUM OCTOATE; AND FROM ABOUT 0.001% TO ABOUT 0.3% BY WEIGHT OF A SURFACE ACTIVE AGENT WHICH ASSISTS IN BRINGING AND MAINTAINING THE VISCOSITY OF SAID BLENDED COMPOSITION BETWEEN ABOUT 30 AND ABOUT 500 CENTIPOSES AT 30*C. 